[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Cherie

It is not always a case of being left on their own though, alot of the time the dog pounces and the adult just can't overpower the dog in time to save the child, it's tragic but at the risk of upsetting LT certain breeds should never be family pets

To a degree you can train a Dog to behave and obey you, I don't believe in turning Dogs into robots but you can teach them what to avoid etc;

I just wish,parents would 'guide' their children not to rush up to Dogs, I have lost count of the times when out with my Dog, that a child has come running over to stroke him.
I never allow that,he wouldn't do anthing,I am as sure as I can be of that but I am protecting him as well as the children too.
Yet, I get really stern glances and words like 'misery' or 'spoilsport' from the parent/s because I refused to let the child stroke my Dog.

I don't think it is necessarily down to a breed of Dog,the only Dog that has ever bitten me was a Jack Russell,it is that children and Dogs on their own may not mix.
A Dog will rarely,to be honest attack anyone it knows without some provocation or neglect as to it.
Responsible owners and responsible Parents,then there would I dare bet be very few instances of cases like this.

[rubymoo]

Originally Posted by joeysteele

To a degree you can train a Dog to behave and obey you, I don't believe in turning Dogs into robots but you can teach them what to avoid etc;

I just wish,parents would 'guide' their children not to rush up to Dogs, I have lost count of the times when out with my Dog, that a child has come running over to stroke him.
I never allow that,he wouldn't do anthing,I am as sure as I can be of that but I am protecting him as well as the children too.
Yet, I get really stern glances and words like 'misery' or 'spoilsport' from the parent/s because I refused to let the child stroke my Dog.

I don't think it is necessarily down to a breed of Dog,the only Dog that has ever bitten me was a Jack Russell,it is that children and Dogs on their own may not mix.
A Dog will rarely,to be honest attack anyone it knows without some provocation or neglect as to it.
Responsible owners and responsible Parents,then there would I dare bet be very few instances of cases like this.

I've had this too Joey.

Children rushing up to stroke my dogs.....i've had to give many talks to strangers children about not approaching dogs they don't know, i tell the children they must always ask to stroke a strange dog and to never run at them head on, the parents usually just look on smiling like it's my job to teach their kids about the dangers of dogs

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by rubymoo

I've had this too Joey.

Children rushing up to stroke my dogs.....i've had to give many talks to strangers children about not approaching dogs they don't know, i tell the children they must always ask to stroke a strange dog and to never run at them head on, the parents usually just look on smiling like it's my job to teach their kids about the dangers of dogs

Spot on.
Also the child obviously doesn't know but running directly towards a Dog is in effect seen by it as threatening and challenging to it.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by rubymoo

I've had this too Joey.

Children rushing up to stroke my dogs.....i've had to give many talks to strangers children about not approaching dogs they don't know, i tell the children they must always ask to stroke a strange dog and to never run at them head on, the parents usually just look on smiling like it's my job to teach their kids about the dangers of dogs

To be fair though, most young children can't remember to wipe their arse every time they take a ****, let alone the correct body language to use with an animal... And if it is indeed true that there's a real risk of dogs attacking children for... Well... Running around being children... Then perhaps we shouldn't be keeping them as pets at all?

[rubymoo]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

To be fair though, most young children can't remember to wipe their arse every time they take a ****, let alone the correct body language to use with an animal... And if it is indeed true that there's a real risk of dogs attacking children for... Well... Running around being children... Then perhaps we shouldn't be keeping them as pets at all?

My dogs are really friendly, but parents should teach children about dogs.

I'd be devastated without my dogs

The parents should take responsibility of their children and dog owners should take responsibility for their dogs.

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

To be fair though, most young children can't remember to wipe their arse every time they take a ****, let alone the correct body language to use with an animal... And if it is indeed true that there's a real risk of dogs attacking children for... Well... Running around being children... Then perhaps we shouldn't be keeping them as pets at all?

No way, look, my Dog is always on a lead when I take him out, I only ever let him off for a time if I am 100% sure there is no one else around.
Why should people not have Dogs as pets just because Parents don't keep an eye on their children properly.

From being 3 I knew things I hadn't to touch from the instructions of my Parents.
Any child under 3 and in fact even older, should not be left anywhere with a Dog and that is the Parents responsibilty as much as any Dog owners.

I get people letting their young child run over to me when I have the Dog, 'on harness and lead',why should I or others not have a Dog when adult Parents act irresponsibly and don't set out to protect their children.

Dogs left alone,especially by strangers, do absolutely no harm. No way should people not be able to keep Dogs.
There are maybe some people who are not so well equipped to be good,protective Parents in the way many,in fact the great majority of Dog owners are protective as to their pets.

[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by joeysteele

No way, look, my Dog is always on a lead when I take him out, I only ever let him off for a time if I am 100% sure there is no one else around.
Why should people not have Dogs as pets just because Parents don't keep an eye on their children properly.

From being 3 I knew things I hadn't to touch from the instructions of my Parents.
Any child under 3 and in fact even older, should not be left anywhere with a Dog and that is the Parents responsibilty as much as any Dog owners.

I get people letting their young child run over to me when I have the Dog, 'on harness and lead',why should I or others not have a Dog when adult Parents act irresponsibly and don't set out to protect their children.

Dogs left alone,especially by strangers, do absolutely no harm. No way should people not be able to keep Dogs.
There are maybe some people who are not so well equipped to be good,protective Parents in the way many,in fact the great majority of Dog owners are protective as to their pets.

In this country, there are atrocious dog owners who are also very poor parents. Anyone electing to have children should raise their children in a stable, loving home and be responsible for looking after those children. It is exactly the same with dogs (or any pets for that matter).

Children are naive and don't know any better, dogs - even the most well trained and disciplined - have basic animal instincts. Generally, it is neither the dogs fault nor the child's, it is the ignorant owners and/or parents.

We have 3 Shi Tzus and three children and like to think we have raised and cared for all six in the appropriate manner.

In this case, however, the dogs were banned dogs and the people responsible for this needless shocking tragedy should be held to account, but banning all people from keeping dogs is punishing the innocent because of the guilty and is a no no.